


Daily Joke

by AmberAsters



Series: The Sunday Paper [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Comfort, Depression, Multi, Slow Burn, kustard - Freeform, one-sided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:28:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23210989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberAsters/pseuds/AmberAsters
Summary: Sans could say his life changed with the resets, that it change when Frisk tumbled down into the Underground, that he had every right to be happy. However, he has problems, always had, and when skeletons start getting dumped into his world from others and the kid can no longer reset he can rightfully say his life changed. Even more so when a red version of himself decides to crash the party.Undertale belongs to Toby Fox and all the Undertale aus belong to their respected owners.
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Sans (Underfell), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Series: The Sunday Paper [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626907
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Red

Sans sat back as he watched Red work on the Box. He insisted that Sans sat back while he looked it over for the reason of it exploding before, stating he was the one with more HP anyway. If you wanted to count the four HP as more. Not like Sans wasn’t sleeping constantly to rise his HP anyway, it was the only reason he hadn’t dusted when the stupid machine went off again in the first place. Man he was going to need a lot of hours to get back to where he once was.

He was perfectly content sitting and watching Red work, watching Red. Of course he would never admit to that if asked. Not only did everyone believe he had a crush on Tori, but Red just wasn’t ready to hear any kind of complements from Sans. He often ran when ever Sans told him he did good work on the box. Anything could send him off even if he acted like some tough nut around Sans and others, he’d seen how he first acted upon arriving, how he still some times acted.

Sans was just glad that Edge had been able to be talked down. Of course the swap bros were about the only arrival that was pleasant. Edge had nearly dusted everyone in sight and Raz had nearly blew the top off Mt. Ebott. He was quite certain Asgore was still growing back his beard to what it once was.

Red and Rus had been a bit easier. You just had to prove them no harm and they were a bit more trusting, it helped when you had no LV to speak of. That of course didn’t mean they had trusted them right away, but when they heard what kind of world they came from it had only been a bit easier.

The first few months had been tense, wondering if they would go into a homicidal rage, but everyone had pitched in to help them integrate into this world. Of course that didn’t mean there still wasn’t bumps in the road. Those worlds had way too many problems for there not be shock waves after.

Red grunted then, and begin to write furiously on a sheet of paper. Sans easily teleported over to see what was going on. Well would you look at that, Red figured it out. They had the magic to energy ratio all wrong, and with finding this new one meant the could finally start making the box smaller and safer to install. Now they just had to mass produce it and then go and replace all the other ones. Well he supposed they didn’t have to replace them, the boxes were fine after instalment, but this version would probably be easier to repair if they needed to.

“that will take a while to build there buddy, lots of small parts.” Sans supplied glazing over the thing.

“i know, we’ll ‘ave to use one of the old ones for tha current ‘ouse.” Red grumbled and then pulled one of the bulky things out from the bench. “probably won’t ‘ave a single one built and ready ta run until win’er ‘en we can’t do much aboot it.” Red glanced at the clock and sighed pushing from the bench. “papyrus is probably ‘ome now so I should probably get goin’.”

“i thought you wanted to go to grillby’s tonight.” Red groaned at that, tilting himself back on his chair till the feet left the ground and he was looking up at Sans. His eye lights sharp pinpricks as he focused on him.

“i did didn’t i?” Sans gave a shrug glancing over at his jacket on the work table. He didn’t really care if they went tonight or not, it wasn’t uncommon for them to go regularly so missing a day wouldn’t hurt. Besides they were both probably tired. Sans knew he was tired, not being able to sleep the night before, and Red was probably in the same boat. Though if Sans did pay attention Red did look a bit less tired and more awake than usual. Sans had to guess that him and his brother were finally sorting all their shit out or at least scrapping it into a pail to deal with later.

Red gave a whine like groan as his chair landed harshly on all four feet again. His tall frame lifting out of the chair and turning towards Sans. Red wasn’t necessarily that much taller than him, but he was at least a few inches, and most of the time Red was looking down on him.

He found it a bit odd how even though they were essentially the same monster they were so different, much like how Blue was so much shorter than either of them. Raz was about between Blue and himself and then there was the whole Papyruss’ height differences. Most of the time you wouldn’t notice though because Rus and Stretch were always slouching. Stretch was defiantly the tallest with Rus only a couple inches behind and then Edge and lastly Sans’s own brother who was a tiny bit taller than Red. In general, the Sanss were all shorter than the Papyruss and Blue was just salty about everyones height if his was ever mentioned.

Of course that occurred a lot, it was just too funny to see the little blue bean rilled up.

“don’t look at me like ‘at.” Red complained pulling Sans’s jacket over in a bout of blue magic and dropping it on his head. “we’ll go, just stop lookin’ like i took your ketchup.”

Sans hide his smile behind his jacket as he pulled it on, giving Red a shrug when he was done. “suit yourself, but it’s not my fault if your tired tomorrow.”

“i…” Red trailed off and looked away, a finger coming up to run through the grove left in his collar link. I tick Sans noticed when Red first came to his world. He does it less now, but before Sans noticed it when ever Red thought he was in trouble with Edge or was, when he was afraid or bothered. It was a comfort tick. Some sick reminder that even though Edge use to treat him like some kinda dog it was all out of love for Red, to protect him. That Edge would never truly hurt him.

The irony in that is that’s only what Edge ever did.

“let’s just go.” Sans didn’t even try to argue, he knew what demons were like when they were gnawing at your heels, and Red could deal with them however he wanted to. He didn’t go poking into Sans’s business so he could do the same so long as it wasn’t harming anyone. Sans could sit and wait and twiddle his thumbs, he had the patience for it after all.


	2. To many questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Frisk talk.

Sans stared at Frisk as the coloured on a page, Flowey beside them looking as miserable as ever. Of course that little devil was never happy anymore, not since the accident and the power to reset was stripped from this world. Frisk was only slightly bothered by that, claiming that they should never have had the power to begin with anyway. Sans wholly agreed with that assessment.

That meant Frisk was just a normal child, one that Sans could finally make proper friends with, without worrying about waking up in the Underground again. Flowey on the other hand could just go to hell. Sans had enough faint memories and dreams to know he had every reason to hate the stupid flower.

“Sans?” Frisk was looking back at him now, with that same squinty face they always had. Sans was still convinced they needed glasses, but they argued with him every time he brought it up. They wouldn’t kill the kid, Sans had a pair of his own and he quite liked them.

“what’s up kiddo?” Sans clicked his finger against the table, eyes glance over at Flowey who twitched every time his finger hit the table.

“Do you think… do you think the other skeletons will be dragged back home?” Frisk spoke out quietly like speaking it to loudly would confirm what the said.

Sans ceased the tapping of his phalanges on the hardwood, staring at frisk with what he felt to be a pretty blank stare. “the only way that would happen would be for the same thing to happening again, and that’s not happening again unless you have another undead child hiding up your sleeve.” He watched Frisk flinch at that, and he narrowed his sockets ever so slightly at them, enough for them to run their moth it would seem.

“I never said Chara was gone, just that their power was, and I mean they aren’t all that bad and they’re great at cheating at cards, so I mean what the harm really…” They puttered to a stop at the looks both Sans and Flowey gave them, their expression turning sheepish.

“frisk.” One word and Frisk was suddenly standing with the flower pot in their hands, said flower not at all pleased with this development.

“Yessss, I cheated at cards, I’m going to go find Undyne now, by-“ Frisk’s words were choked off by a blue soul and being pulled back to the table where Sans was glaring at them now.

“that’s not the point kid, from what you told me, chara’s bad news and i don’t know how much i like the _thought_ of them still being in your head.” Sans sat Frisk back into the chair across from him and pushed the lights back into his eyes as he did. “explain, now.”

“Well after that reset malfunction, I really did think Chara was gone, but they were just resting… They did have most of their determination striped from them.” Frisk pulled Flowey a little closer and smiled a bit more. “They can only really talk to me now, they help me with school and games and… they like to hear Flowey talk, I would have told you, but they didn’t want people knowing, said no one would trust _me_ if I did.”

“and your right, we wouldn’t have, especially not after you explained to whole reset thing to us.” Sans began to tap his phalanges against the table again, his check to his fist. “but we’re now a little more understanding after flowey explained his part, _and_ after you explained how chara willingly gave up the power.”

“She couldn’t stand it anymore.”

“as you’ve said, and honestly it was a complete fluke what happened because of it and a lot of good came out of it.” Both children shot him a smug look. “i still don’t like the idea of them being around, but you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone about chara unless it becomes a problem, and if it does become a problem _you tell me_.”

Frisk breath a sigh of relief and took Flowey within their arms again. “Thank you Sans… I’m going to go find Undyne now, she owes me a bicicle.” Frisk hurried from the room, and Sans. Watched them go, only to jump when he looked back to find Red relaxing in the seat that they had just been in. The normal displacement of air that accompanied a shortcut having been silenced by intent.

“so tha demon is still kickin’.” He flicked the tooth pick he had straight into the trash and looked right at Sans. “should of killed ‘em when i ‘ad the chance.”

“red,” Sans hissed. The two glared at one another until Red leaned his head back and started to laugh.

“before ya would ‘ave done anything for ‘at devil to be dead.” Red’s grin turned sharp as he leaned his body forward. “i would ‘ave too, but now we both gotta soft spot for the kid.”

Sans felt himself relax and his smile become a bit more real, more of that one he saved just for Red.He couldn’t tell if Red noticed or not, but Red relaxed as well as hr continued to speak.

“sure do, so long as no one gets hurt, the other kid can stay around.” Red nodded in agreement, then in a moment where he surprised Sans, let his face fall into the table.

“rough day?” Sans guessed and Red grunted, scraping his sharp nails over the surface of the table. Hard enough to make Sans wince and hope he didn’t scratch Papyrus’s table.

“boss ‘ad a freak out, stayed up all night, and then went ta work alone, had ta explain a bit ta the human.” Red glanced up at Sans from his position with a smile. “and now i’mma in dustin’ need of a drink.”

“grillby’s?”

“is ‘at even a fuckin’ question.”

Never was, never would be, not so long as Red was involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter half typed for awhile and only now have I gotten the ideas to finish it. Next one will hopefully be sooner.   
> Also if your interested in a new Au I got one started that you can find on my deviantart or Tumblr under the same name. It's called Tremortale.


	3. Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They joke they talk they leave.

“it was tha funniest shit ya ever seen.” Sans chuckled, feeling his smile grow just a smidge more real at the way Red told is story. “she couldn’t stop staring at ‘is ass, and he doesn’t even have one!”

Sans always looked forward to these times. When Red was just a bit more real, more himself, even if it was with the help of mustard and whisky. Sans could be himself a bit more too at these times.

“i seriously don’t know ‘at she sees in ‘im.” Red shook his head and then gave a huge belly laugh. “i’m mean my bro got looks, but come on, he’s nothin’ but bone!”

At that Sans had to give his own laugh, the pun and ketchup taking its own toll on his thoughts. Any monsters could rightly say Edge was good looking, all the Papyrus were, hell many argued with him that the Sans were good looking. Though he didn’t want to hear it just like Red and Rus, and Stretch. They didn’t like it when others boasted about their looks, let alone how pretty their bones were. It just wasn’t something they were comfortable hearing, not after the resets and in some cases other traumas.

“bet she called him edgy.” Sans snickered, setting his ketchup down and pushing the bag of chips towards Red. Red grabbed the bag and set it on top of the box they had just built, his smile never wavering

“she did! apparently she even got a divorce for him even though his only ever turned him down, she’s crazy about him man.” Sans choked on his ketchup, sputtering red everywhere as he snorted. Someone liked Edge-the-sick-up-his-ass-skeleton enough to actually do that, is what Sans couldn't believe. 

“really? stars that’s gotta draw the line somewhere, hopefully we don't have to worry about a stalker.” Sans looked down at the table as his laughter trailed off, considering what he would say next. “say how’s your brother doing anyway? he seems more distant than usual.”

Red slumped back in his chair, one arm hanging the other resting on the backrest. His eyes stared down into his mustard bottle deeply. “better, but i think being away for this long this bugging him, undyne couldn’t do her job worth shit less so after bos-bro pissed her off and took the title… he’s worried about what will happen without him there.”

“for an ass he sounds likes a swell guy.” Red snorted and glanced up at Sans with a smirk.

“like i’ve said before he’s got a soft spot for children and people in need, the boss-terior is just for show.” Red joked causing Sans to snort and smile anew.

“sounds like there’s a real big bu-“ Sans trailed off when he caught Red’s wide eyed stare, red magic flickering around his eye and collar. His gaze was mainly on the red smear across Sans shirt from the ketchup and Sans cursed as he attempted to cover it. That dream was one none of them liked to remember. “hey, hey red you alright.”

There was a spark of magic before Red blinked and the haunted look remained on his face. “‘orry jus’ had a bad feelin’ for a moment ‘ere.” Red looked away from him, smile gone and sober. “i ‘ink i’m gonna ‘ead ‘ome.”

“if you need to.” Sans stood with him, trying to think of something to say to Red. Stars he was bad with words. Which was funny considering how many puns he could dish out in a day. He just wanted to be there, let Red know he wanted to be there. “just call if you need anything.”

Red looked over his shoulder as he shrugged on his jacket. His eyes burning a bright enough red to put his namesake to shame. “will do.” With a loud static of unbuffered, displaced air he was gone.

Sans shrugged on his own jacket before shortcutting into the kitchen back home where Papyrus was cooking excitedly for his puzzle club. Sans had every intention of stealing a snicker doodle or two, but a quick glare from Papyrus catching him red handed stopped him.

“YOUR HOME EARLY BROTHER!” While his back was turned Sans slipped a cookie into his pocket.

“red had to head out.”Something that was still nagging at his mind like a plague. From what he understood collars didn’t glow for no reason. So had something happened to Edge or to Red? He wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, just that it had enough magic baked into it to give anyone a heart attack if they touched Red without permission. Some testament of Edge’s actually caring.

“I SEE, PUT THAT SQUARE DOWN SANS, DID HE BY CHANCE MENTION IF EDGE WAS GOING TO COME TO MY PUZZLE CLUB, BLUE’S COMING LIKE USUAL AND RAZ ALSO AGREED TO COME IF HE WAS FEELING BETTER, AND THEN THOSE TWO HUMANS TRYING TO MAKE THAT VIDEO GAME…”

“no he didn’t, might have slipped his mind bro, but I’m sure you’ll have that puzzled out before club starts.”

“NEYH!”

Sans teleported out quickly, but not before he caught the muffin tossed at him. Hey food was food and after Papyrus got help from Toriel and an actual cookbook that didn’t come from Undyne his food had improved greatly, and if it didn’t he’d some how find a way to prank Undyne as revenge for so many years of charcoal.

Sans set his new found treats on the desk and pulled out a project of his own out of many layers of junk and random things. He’d be lucky if he got the wiring sorted much less working. IF by the off chance he did get it working maybe everyone can stop worrying and actually live a little while here. That would be the preferable outcome. If Sans could get it to work.

Now he just had to stop worrying enough to work on it.

**Author's Note:**

> This took me way longer than it should have, but here it is.
> 
> Theme songs:  
> Papyrus: Most People are Good by Luke Bryan  
> sans: Next to me by Imagine Dragons


End file.
